FurryFolks.com: Pet Info

Pet Info

The Domestic Cat and the Law: A Guide to Available Resources


Pet Sitter Qualifications
Before you hire a pet sitter, a professional recommends you consider the following:
1. Is the sitter staying at your home or dropping by? In either event, are you comfortable having this person in your home when you aren't around? Go with your gut. If someone sets off bad vibes, don't hire them.
2. Do you have an elaborate feeding/pilling/shots schedule? Does your kitty need special care? You want to make sure the person is bright enough and reliable enough to maintain your cat's routine. If you have young, motherless kittens, will this person reliably nurse them on time? If your cat has a serious illness, will this person know to wash his or her hands before touching other pets in the house?
3. Is this person comfortable snuggling and paying extra attention to your cat? Watch to see how s/he interacts with your cat when they are introduced. If your kitty is an indoor-only cat, watch to see how conscientious the sitter is with opening and closing doors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Will the sitter clean the litter box and clean up any messes? Will this person follow your household routines for cleaning up after feedings and so forth? Can they handle other housesitting chores and keep the house looking
occupied in your absence? If they are staying overnight for several days, are they willing to take care of your plants?
5. Can this person get your cat to the vet in case of emergency? Does s/he have transportation?
6. Is this person reliable enough to handle your home in an emergency? (Shut off water/power/gas, get your pet out of the house and to a safe place in a worst case scenario?)
7. How many/what kinds of pets does the candidate have at home? How are those pets taken care of while the sitter is staying at your home?
8. Is the sitter easy to reach? Can you get hold of him or her by work/car/cell phone?
9. Can the sitter manage the well-being of a number of pets at once? (I've handled some 10 pets at a time in a couple of homes.)
10. What kinds of people hang out with the sitter? If this person is staying in your home for two weeks, would you feel comfortable with the sitter having people over to your home, even if they are stopping by for a few minutes? You may want to really know your sitter and have an established
track record with him or her before you allow this kind of liberty with your home.
11). Get references!!!! Plusses include those who have worked in the veterinary field, pet stores, etc. Also, word-of-mouth from your friends is the BEST way to get a recommendation you can trust.
12. Rates: I can't say my rates are any gauge of the real world, as I am super cheap. I charge $15 a day for drive-by feedings (which means, I do everything the cats needs, but I don't stay overnight). I charge $20 a night if I sleep over. One of my clients pays me $35 a day for a drive-by, but that client is very well-to-do. Others charge up to $40 a day in some of a tonier neighborhoods in Los Angeles. You may have to negotiate between what you can manage and what the sitter is asking. Experience and good references should be a good measure for the rate.
That's my two cents. Good luck!
Amélie

Easy Ways to Help Rescue

Donate. Money's always nice, but rescues also need stuff you may have around the house, like collars, leashes, food and water bowls, dog houses, dog runs, carriers, crates, scratching posts, dog and cat beds, blankets and towels. Consumables, such as pet food, cat litter, paper plates, paper towels, and non-toxic cleaning supplies are also appreciated. Collect these things from family and friends, or find them cheap at flea markets or garage sales.

Cut out coupons for pet items and donate them to a rescue group. Ask friends, family, and co-workers to do the same. The money they save could save another life.
Make, buy, or ask for donated items that the group can sell at auctions, craft tables, or flea markets to help raise money.

See if your employer will help. Some companies will match employee donations or fundraising amounts. Some will donate to non-profit groups their employees volunteer with.

Volunteer. Your local rescue or shelter has many needs. You can foster or transport animals, help with cleaning, walking, or other kennel tasks. You can do bookkeeping, accounting, or paperwork, make phone calls, help with the newsletter or website. You can help with fundraising, adoptions, follow-up, publicity, event planning. Whatever your talents, skills, and available time, you can do something to help.
If you know of any person or business that has goods or services your rescue could use, ask them to donate these goods/services, or offer them to the rescue at a reduced cost. They can take donations off their taxes (including discounts given as a donation).
Rescue groups always need help and expertise in writing grants. Could you, or someone you know, help?
Educate: Tell everyone you know about the wonderful animals available through rescue. Most people do not even know rescues exist. Let them know that even purebreds can be adopted from rescues and shelters. Encourage them to adopt from rescues and shelters and NOT to buy pets!
Write letters to local, state, and national government asking them to outlaw Puppy Mills and stop allowing them to torture animals.
Help educate your friends, children, and family members about responsible pet ownership. Be sure they know what a forever home is and help them learn how to care for their pets.
Pass out literature to people outside malls and pet stores about Puppy Mills. Every person we persuade not to buy an animal from a pet store will help reduce the number of animals being produced in Puppy Mills. When the demand goes down so will the supply and we want these places to close for good.
Shop Smart: Don't buy anything from pet stores that sell animals. Your money is helping these places stay in business and helps them buy animals from the brokers who buy animals from the mills.

PROTECT YOUR PETS FROM THEFT
Ideas from Dog Fancy: 1. Never leave your dog (or cat) UNATTENDED! 2. Do not have your dog's fenced play area visible from the street. 3. When NOT home, leave pet with RESPONSIBLE person. 4. Verify ID from any Animal Welfare Workers . 5. Educate yourself about DOG THEFTS in YOUR area. NOTIFY Police of any suspicious activity! 6. Don't list YOUR address in newspaper ads that mention YOUR DOG. 7. Provide your dog an ID with Microchip or collar/tags with YOUR NAME! 8. Encourage Government officials to support STRONG Dog Theft Laws! Dog napping continues across the US and at least TWO MILLION dogs are reported EACH Year STOLEN. Few are recovered! Thieves sell them on canine black markets to dealers who sell to LABS---for from $200---$500 EACH and Puppy Mills (Where dogs are bred in squalid conditions and kept with little food/water!) Friendly purebreds are TARGETED but healthy, friendly, mixed breeds are at risk too! Website devoted to locating stolen pets: www.eburg.com/~dalmatia/dulcie.html

Feedback . Contact Us . Site Map . Links

Please Note: ALL material, images, and verbiage on this site is the exclusive property of Furry Folks™, and is protected by U.S. Trademark and Copyright laws. We're nice folks, and we love to share, so if you want to use any of this stuff that we've worked so hard on, please ask. Otherwise, we'll be forced to sic our attack-trained lawyers on your sorry, plagiarizing ass.